The Forgotten Legion

Republican Rome's underbelly exposed.

Ben Kane's novel 'The Lost Legion' is a gripping novel set in ancient Rome. Kane writes about the last days of the Roman Republic but with an unusual approach. He chooses his main characters from people on the margins of Roman society, those who inhabit the underbelly of the Republic and provide the essential services to keep the wealthy in a life of luxury. This means that the society they describe is almost as much of a mystery to them as it to the reader of two thousand years later.

Kane opens the book by giving us Tarquinius, a character from the long-conquered Etruscan society, moves swiftly to introduce Brennus a giant of a Gaul and then to Romulus and Fabiola, slave siblings who are sold into show more two of the most awful worlds of Rome, the brothel and the circus.

Kane chooses to develop different streams of his novel, never an easy task but one which he manages with skill. I never felt I had to go back to re-read what was happening to one of the characters even when there had been a gap since I had last read about them.

I particularly liked his portrayal of the clever, beautiful Fabiola. Many epic historical novels tend to side-line female characters but Fabiola is not a woman content to be side-lined by anybody, (including, I suspect, the author.) I look forward to seeing how she will develop.

Kane seems to me to be historically accurate, adept at capturing the essence of Romans such as Caesar, Crassus and Mark Antony. This dedication to authenticity led to one of my few niggles. He uses the accurate Roman words for weapons, almost all of the time. This gave me pause; I'd rather he dispensed with the Latin and said swords and shields for ease of reading. Because of his accuracy I was also somewhat surprised to hear Romulus described as a teenager and wondered whether Alexander's soldiers would have been as fair of skin and hair as Kane suggests.

These tiny niggles apart, I loved this book. I have bought the next one in the series and look forward to branching out to his book about Hannibal. show less

Oh dear. I like historical fiction, and when it's done well it can be exciting, informative and a bloody good read. This book is none of those things. To be honest I gave up half way through it 600 plus pages. The prose is pedestrian, the characters stereotypical and cardboard. The story moves at a snail's pace and I really couldn't find the will to carry on with it. I hate giving up on books but sometimes life is just too short to bother with a bad one.

Where was the editor on this? Why did it need to be 600 pages long? Why are there another two books after this one? I'm sure Mr. Kane loves the Roman world and he's obviously put in loads of research. But he's not a novelist.

This is the kind of 'blockbuster' that clogs up airports and show more supermarket shelves. Roman fiction has been done much better by other people (Harris, Iggulden, Sidebottom). Disappointing. show less

Appalling mistakes in regard to Roman culture, life and politics, but overall a fun read if you can get past the above. Of course every time I had to read that Caesar was an equite or the words "Pompey Magnus" I wanted to poke my eyes out.

“Revolt and Revenge in the Roman Arena”

British Author Ben Kane is a newcomer to the historical fiction genre, and successfully steps up to the plate with his sensational Ancient Roman debut, The Forgotten Legion, the first in a series that has proved a huge hit. With the fierce competition of many other authors penning the literary lives of the ancient Romans, this introductory story has all the fictional elements of what it takes to keep up with the forerunners like Colleen McCullough, Conn Iggulden, James Duffy, and Douglas Jackson.

Traversing the ancient world during the first century, this dramatic novel is about three brave men and one cunning yet beautiful young woman. Four people who had their families, homes, and identities show more ripped from them at the hands of Rome’s most powerful. Lustful and greedy wealthy merchants, power-hungry generals in league with the unbeaten triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompey and Cassus, take what they want, kill without remorse, rape, pillage, and conquer adding wealth to the coffers of mighty Rome. Torture and execution come to those that step in their way.

Romulus & Fabiola are twins born into slavery after their mother was raped by an unknown senate member. When both come of age, they are sold for high prices and separated not knowing each other’s fate. Strong willed and hell-bent on inflicting future retribution, Romulus is sold to the best gladiatorial school in Rome. Fabiola with her exquisite looks is sent to the best whorehouse in town, to become the most talented and sought after courtesan that the men of Rome have ever encountered. Years pass as brother and sister fight for their lives, seek escape, plot revenge, and be the best that they can be under their unfortunate circumstances that although still spell slavery, enjoy the fame and wealth that only the arena games and a den of lust can bring.

Brennus is a Gaul. A young man who ran from France as his village was razed to the ground, his wife and child burnt in the raid. Brennus becomes a brawny fighter that finds himself battling for his life on the sands of the arena, the best gladiator the ancient world has ever seen. He too watches, patiently biding his time. He spends his imprisoned years waiting for an omen, for a sign that the right time will come for him to flee, take his blood money, and run towards freedom unshackled. His ultimate dream is to someday even score on the Romans that forced upon him a life of slaughtering at the hilt of a sword.

Lastly we have Tarquinias, an Etruscan soothsayer, who has his own hatred of Rome’s royal villains. Trained as a young boy by the local Haruspex, a seer, he was destined for greatness among his clan. But fate again brings a reign of terror as Cassus of Rome comes knocking and the Etruscan people are annihilated. Left the sole survivor, he roams the world from Greece to the Middle east, wandering and learning, lingering until he too can return to city of sin, bringing pain to the man who destroyed his world.

These three brave heroes, run, battle, reach for freedom, and finally unite under the same banner and standard, joining the fighting ranks of the Roman Legions. Avoiding capture, repelling death, the trio befriend each other side by side and travel to the ends of the earth joining one army after another, switching sides, slowly inching their way back on the road to Rome where eventually all hell will break loose as they hopefully look their enemies in the eyes unflinching, and turn the tides of execution full circle.

Great character development, intense high-octane action scenes, and thrilling suspense will leave the reader with high anxiety knowing they will have to wait awhile before the sequel appears and we can continue with the passionate lives of the underdog, as they proudly march their way back up the stairs of the Roman Senate having kept the beasts at bay. In depth research and a keen eye for detail will have the reader hearing the clangs & ringing of swords, smelling the sweat and fear of every man battling whether gladiator or legionnaire, and will feel the desperation of these characters as they shed blood and tears to live free. Bravo to Ben Kane, an exhilarating first novel!!! show less

The first book in a trilogy, The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane will appeal to fans of Simon Scarrow, Robert Low and Conn Iggulden. Historical adventure with plenty of war, violence, rape and plundering. Set in the waning days of the Roman Republic it follows the manoeuvring of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus as they vie with each other to be the sole ruler.

Following along with four main characters with both separate and eventual entwining story lines, we learn of the life of slaves, gladiators, prostitutes and legionnaires. These characters’ destiny carries them from Rome to the far reaches of the known world This is a book of action and keeps the reader enthralled while at the same time delivering detailed and rich historical details. show more Although slightly over 600 pages, I found this a fairly quick read as the characters storylines draw you in and make you want to know what happens next.

The Forgotten Legion is not a book to be read for it’s prose, it is straight ahead story telling, but Ben Kane knows how to deliver accurate history while entertaining at the same time. I look forward to continuing the adventure with The Silver Eagle, the next book in the trilogy. show less

The Forgotten Legion, the first book in Ben Kane's Forgotten Legion trilogy, is a character-driven novel set in Ancient Rome during the 1st century BC. With the political machinations and rivalries of Ancient Rome serving as background, Kane brings to life the stories of the novel's four principal characters: Romulus and Fabiola, twins born into slavery but separated at age thirteen when Romulus is sold to a gladiator school and Fabiola to a brothel; Brennus, a Gaul warrior whose entire tribe was killed by the Romans but who escapes death himself to become one of Rome's greatest gladiators; and the Etruscan Haruspex Tarquinius, the last in a long line of Etruscan soothsayers who is determined not to let Rome destroy him or the legacy of show more his people. While the stories of the main characters are seemingly unconnected at the outset of the novel, fate first brings Romulus and Brennus together as members of Rome's illustrious Ludus Magnus gladiatorial school, and then joins them with Tarquinius as members of Crassus' army that unsuccessfully attempts to invade Parthia. By the novel's end, all three men find themselves farther from Rome than they ever thought possible as members of the 'forgotten legion.' Meanwhile, back in Rome, Fabiola vows to make the most of her situation and becomes one of Rome's most sought after prostitutes. She wins the favour of Marcus Brutus and never gives up hope of finding her brother or gaining her freedom.

The Forgotten Legion is a novel sure to appeal to readers interested in historical fiction set in ancient Rome. While the more violent components of the novel's narrative are, at times, graphic, these scenes serve to give the novel an authentic feel. Life in ancient Rome was brutal and violent, especially for slaves, members of the lower classes and non-Roman citizens. The novel effectively conveys this. Although not central to the overall story, The Forgotten Legion also successfully conveys the rampant corruption and ruthlessness that defined politics of this era, thereby providing much needed background. While I enjoyed this background, it is the characters themselves that make this story such a great read. Kane has created a memorable cast of characters and whether they be hero or villain, central to the story or just those on its periphery, I was genuinely interested in all of them. As a result, I'm very much looking forward to finding out what's next for each of them.

The story started in The Forgotten Legion continues in The Silver Eagle. show less

The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane is an epic. The story takes place in ancient Rome in the time of Julius Caesar. I found this to be a great tale, like The Walking Drum or Ben Hur. We are fully immersed into Rome and its culture, and get to see it through the eyes of the slaves and the conquered.

We follow 4 people in this saga: Tarquinius is a free Etruscan and warrior as well as the last haruspex trained in the forgotten arts of divination. Brennus a Gaul from the Allobreges tribe is taken in battle against the Roman army and he survives, only to be sold as a slave to a gladiator school. Last but not least are the slave twins Romulus and Fabiola. Shortly after they hit puberty, they are sold, Romulus to a gladiator school and Fabiola to show more a brothel.

The 4 individuals apparently were picked to help showcase the author's knowledge of this Roman time period. I mean this in a good way, I really felt the whole time like I was visiting. While the story was good and I couldn't put the book down, the plot was pretty basic and telegraphed itself in many places. I didn't mind this since I didn't really have to worry where we were going on our trip, just how we were going to get there. And it was a rather picturesque journey if I may say so.

Overall I found this to be a fascinating read, following these characters through their lives as they struggle for survival, respect and if they are lucky, revenge. This book is the first in a trilogy and the way it ended I suspect it was a large novel split in three. I can hardly wait for to get my hands on the next one The Silver Eagle. show less